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SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — When Jay Harbaugh was hired as special teams coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks in February 2024, long snapper Chris Stoll initially didn't like him because of his college ties.

Jay, the son of Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh, coached for nine seasons at Michigan while Stoll spent six years at Penn State. It didn't take long for Stoll to come around on the younger Harbaugh, though.

"He is able to generate buy-in from guys, and that's also just the culture we have here in Seattle," Stoll said. "We know that we can make a difference and an impact on special teams."

The Seahawks specials teams certainly have under Harbaugh's direction in their leadup toSuper Bowl 60.

Including these playoffs, Seattle has scored five special teams touchdowns, four of them on returns. Rashid Shaheed, whom the Seahawksacquired from the New Orleans Saints in November,returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown in the divisional round against the San Francisco 49ers, which was one of three special teams touchdowns for the speedy wide receiver.

Ahead of theSeahawks' 31-27 win against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC championship game, Harbaugh said that in an era where 20-yard punt returns happen infrequently, rattling off as many special teams touchdowns as Seattle has is no small accomplishment.

"The investment that they have, that they put in day in and day out, unselfishness and commitment to doing it right and respecting the opponent in the process, they deserve to have success," Harbaugh said.

It isn't just the return game where Seattle has excelled.

In his 11th season, Jason Myers set the NFL record for most points by a kicker in a single season with 171, surpassing David Akers' 166. And punter Michael Dickson was a second-team AP All-Pro selection in his eighth year in the league after averaging 42.2 yards per punt, and landing 20 of his 52 punts inside the 20-yard line.

"They're studs," said special teams ace and fullback Brady Russell. "They're clearly two of the best in the world and their performance kind of reflects their work ethic."

Seattle was also tied in allowing the second-fewest punt returns (19) and fourth-fewest touchbacks (3) as a team in 2025. And unsung players like Dareke Young have risen to the occasion in big moments, too, like when he recovered a muffed punt in the NFC championship game to set up a touchdown.

"There's been a ton of games where we really flipped the game, got the momentum back," Myers said. "Or, it was a close game, and we really started the onslaught of points."

Stoll said it's no coincidence the Seahawks have enjoyed success on special teams.

Specials teams is the first meeting and practice period of the day. The expectation each year is for the Seahawks to generate special teams scores, even though they don't come in bunches every season.

Coach Mike Macdonald is thankful Harbaugh joined his staff in 2024.

Macdonald was Michigan's defensive coordinator in 2021 while Harbaugh oversaw the Wolverines' special teams. Their relationship dates back much further, though, to when Harbaugh was a quality control coach for the Baltimore Ravens and interviewed Macdonald for a job in 2014. They've been friends ever since.

"It was a very, very easy decision to beg him to come to Seattle and be our special teams coordinator," Macdonald said. "And he's done a tremendous job since Day 1. You talk about chasing edges, this guy, that's how he operates all the time. Pushing the envelope, he pushes me. He's got a great perspective."

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Longtime Toronto Blue Jays broadcasterBuck Martinez announced his retirement Friday.

Martinez, 77, began as a color analyst for the team in 1987 after his 17-year playing career ended. He ended up managing the Blue Jays in 2001 and 2002 before joining the Baltimore Orioles' television booth from 2003 to 2009 and then returning to Toronto in 2010.

In a statement, Martinez said that following the 2025 World Series, he made the decision to walk away following conversations with his wife, saying, "It was time for me to step out of the booth and enjoy the years ahead."

It has been a fantastic journey with Sportsnet, the Blue Jays and the wonderful Blue Jays fans all over the world. Thank you all for embracing me and welcoming my family and me in a way that has made us feel like we are part of yours. I will dearly miss my working partners, the leadership at Rogers, and the Toronto Blue Jays baseball club, all of whom made it so much fun to be at the ballpark talking about the game I've loved for my whole life. As to the fans specifically, I will miss the "selfies," the handshakes and the welcoming smiles. I will never forget any of those, nor the unwavering support and generosity, which has meant more than words can say. I look forward to continuing to root for the Blue Jays along with you, and you'll always be in my heart. My sincere appreciation to all of you.

I had hoped to be part of the 50th year of the Toronto Blue Jays, but it's time to pass the torch. Enjoy 2026 and beyond, I will see you down the road.

With the utmost gratitude and respect,

Buck Martinez

As a player, Martinez began his MLB career with the Kansas City Royals in 1969. After eight seasons, Martinez was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers and remained with the team through the 1980 season. Early in the 1981 season, he was dealt to Toronto, where he would stay until retiring in 1986.

In 2022, Martinez announcedhe was taking a leave of absencefrom the Blue Jays' booth after being diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer. After three months of treatment, hereturned briefly to a warm welcome from fans.

In May 2025, Martinez took another leave from his broadcasting duties to undergo treatment for lung cancer before returning late in the summer.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Jim Schwartz has resigned as the Cleveland Browns' defensive coordinator after three seasons.

The team announced Friday that Schwartz handed in his letter of resignation a day earlier. Schwartz has led one of the league's top defenses over the past three seasons but was upset about being passed over for the head coach job, after many thought he was the favorite to replace Kevin Stefanski.

The Browns hired Todd Monken as their head coach on Jan. 29. Monken said during his introductory news conference on Tuesday that he had spoken with Schwartz but didn't have an update on whether he would be back. Schwartz was under contract for one more season.

Monken also said there were no plans to change the defensive system if Schwartz decided to move on

"We're still going to let them attack; we're still going to let them play free. I can't see any other way. They're a big reason why I took this job, the defensive players," Monken said. "When I was preparing for the Cleveland Browns, I wasn't trying to chip Jim Schwartz, I was chipping Myles Garrett. And when I was sliding a protection to the outside backers or Grant Delpit that were blitzing off the edge, I was sliding the protection of the players. And when I was worried about throwing to the right against Denzel Ward or Tyson Campbell to the left, that's who I was worried about throwing at."

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Cleveland led the league in total defense in 2023 and ranked fourth this season.Garrett had 23 sacks to break the NFL single-season record.

Garrett was named the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year for the second time in three seasons on Thursday night.

"We have really good players. And it starts there," owner Jimmy Haslam said on Tuesday. "It helps to have a great coordinator and a great staff. We also have a great staff. And I think Jim would tell you the four leaders of the D-line, linebackers, cornerbacks and safeties are all outstanding coaches. So, we're excited moving forward."

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